music video analysis

1. MUSIC VIDEO ANALYSIS

2. Types of music videos
 1. narrative based video.
 2. performance based video.
 3.Concept based video.
 4.Mixture
 5. Cameo

3. Narrative based video
 This is a video which consists of a story line relating to lyrics and
genre of song. This is a good technique to engage audience.
 This can be linked to Todorov’s narrative theory which suggests that
a movie/video starts with a stable equilibrium and ends with a stable
equilibrium or with an effort to resolve the problem.

4. Performance based video
 These videos feature the band/artist performing either to the
camera or an audience. This is a very popular technique used in
rock band videos as they have high energy so the audience enjoy
watching the band perform as well as listen to the song.

5. mixture
 A mixture is a combination of both performance based as well as
narrative based video.it makes a music video more interesting.
cameo
 This is when the actor is present in the video but does not perform.

6. Genre
 The genre I chose is alternative rock and im going to compare 3
videos of same genre. The videos are:
 1. castle of glass-linkin park.
 2. fix you- coldplay
 Nirvana-Smells like teen spirit.

7. Castle of glass
concept
 "Castle of Glass" is a song written by American rock band Linkin Park for their
fifth studio album, Living Things. The song was produced by co-lead
vocalist Mike Shinoda and Rick Rubin. The song was released as a
promotional single for Danger Close Games's 2012 release, Medal of Honor:
Warfighter, as with Linkin Park's previous contribution to the Medal of
Honor series, "The Catalyst".
 The music video shows a young boy being told that his father has been
killed in action. He and his mother mourn the death as the
fallen SEALs teammates and their families try to comfort them. The band is
shown playing in a storm where shattered pieces of glass circle the band.
Towards the end the boy goes through his father's possessions, fast
forwarding to him becoming a SEAL, like his father before him. At the end of
the video we see the man telling a girl the heartbreaking news of her family
member, as she too cries. Castle of Glass highlights the emotional realities
soldiers and their families face far from the battlefield. The video ends with a
quote from Winston Churchill, shown in all-caps:

8. Camera shots/angles:
The video opens with a zoom in towards a red door. Red color is usually a signal of “danger”
or “love” but in this video it goes with danger or fear because after opening this door the boy
is informed about his father’s death.
Close up:
This video has no dialogue but the expressions are a powerful source of conveying the situation.. Closeups and
Over the shoulder shots are used to show the expressions of the people in video and to whom they are talking.
-in this scene the child is told that his dad died and this is shown by expressions.

9. LIGHTING:The color blue plays an important role in
this entire video. Except the end, the entire
video has a blue effect. The walls of the
kids rooms are also blue then when he
pushed the glass vase,blue beads fall from
it. The shirt of that kid is also blue.
In the band’s part of the video the
environment which is created, where they
are standing is also blue, it shows heavy
storm, snow , cloudes lightning , thunder, all
of this gives a look that it is difficult time.
Color blue signifies Depression, sadness,
fear and all this environment including
lightning and thunderstorms adds more
point to the fact that a difficult time is
shown in this part of the video which
changes in the end. The audience is
positioned by the environment and they
start feeling the same way, the producers
want them to.

10. The lightning changes in the end
of the video as it goes to orange
and yellow from blue and black
which shows hope.
A sunrise background is used in
the end which depicts a new day
which means a new beginning
and that everything will be okay.
The storms will pass one day and
you will have a clear beautiful
day.

11. PROPS:
 As it is a performance based video,
guitars, drums can be seen.
 The vase is also a prop which the kid
pushes in anger.
 The letter and the soldier badge were
also used as props for the video.

12. Continuity and Sound Bridge:
The cap is used as a prop. Its is shown that the kid is wearing a cap and in next
second the same kid (grown up) is shown in same position holding the same cap.
A music is being played when the kid is wearing the cap then the music
continues and gets louder as the man appears with the cap. A timelapse is
shown with these shots and the music was acting as a sound bridge to establish
continuity of the scene.

13. SPECIAL EFFECTS:
The band part of the video was entirely shot infront of green
screens. Its post-production relied heavily on CGI animation and
After-effects. Special effects have a prominent use in this music
video, and also continues the motif of a world falling apart, as with
the previous Living Things videos. One of these is an opening shot of
Mike Shinoda, beginning with a shot under, moving progressively
upwards until the walls around him start to crumble.
-The band performed infront of green screens and the effets and
lights are added afterwards through editing

14. The special effects can be seen here as the snow is added after the background was changed:

15. Some images of making of the
video:

16. Lyrics and visuals
'Cause I'm only a crack in this castle of glass”
“Wash the sorrow from off my skin
And show me how to be whole again”
These lines tell us about the starting of a new
beginning and also this video ends with a
quotes of Winston Churchill, hope is also
mentioned there so the scenery, the
background goes well with the quote.

17. Costumes & Makeup:
 There are no unique costumes. The kid is wearing normal clothes in
the video. But the band members are all wearing jackets and jeans.
The colors are blue and black which go with the environment.
Soldiers are wearing army clothes
He is wearing an army
costume.

18. COLDPLAY-FIX YOU:
Concept
 It was written by all four members of the band for their third album,X&Y.
The track is built around an organ accompanied by slow tempo drums
and vocals. It was released on 5 September 2005 as the second single
from X&Y and has reached number four on the UK Singles Chart. In the
first half of the video the band's lead singer, Chris Martin, wanders the
streets of London starting at Tooley Street under London Bridge Station.
 The tunnels that Martin is seen wandering within are located both in
and around London St Pancras and King's Cross railway stations, and
the filming for the video took place during the time of the
redevelopment and expansion of London St Pancras International.
Martin is then seen walking across Waterloo Bridge, which crosses
the River Thames, connecting the Southbank with The Strand. As soon
as the electric guitar kicks in, Martin's walk turns into a run as he darts
through streets until finally reaching the Reebok Stadium, where he joins
the rest of the band for the song's finale. Here the audience can be
clearly heard singing along, and at the end of the video Martin thanks
them for their support and wishes them goodnight.

19. Camera Angles/Shots:
The video starts with a wide shot which kind of establishes the
location which is inside a tunnel.
This is an eye level shot. It can be seen that the lead singer is
making an eye contact with the viewers. In this way the
audience feel like they are involved and starts enjoying the video.
Dolly in movement is used. The person is moving towards the
camera. This is a Mid shot.
Closeup shots are seen in most of the video.

21. LIGHTING:
The lightning is very dull throughout the video. There is a
source of light in almost every shot. The black and yellow
lightning when compared to lyrics of the song, give a sad
and lonely feeling. The lyrics go pretty well with the music
video.
As the lights play an important role in music video a lot of
lights are shown including cars, buildings, streets, bulbs etc.

22. As the lead singer of the band runs from streets and goes to the
stage where he joins his other band members, the lighting
changes. Now its all redish and black.
It is a performance based video which includes the members of
the band.
In the end the audience can be seen enjoying and taking part
in the song.

23. Costumes & makeup
Every one is wearing black in this video. As the background
is also black with some yellow lights, black costumes looks fine
on the band members. Wearing something colorful will make
them look weird and odd.

24. Lyrics & visuals:
 “lights will guide you home”
 As they are talking about lights , they have used every kind of light
source in the video including car lights, building lights and bulbs.

25. Smells like Teen Spirit
Concept:
 The video was based on the concept of a school concert which
ends in anarchy and riot. Inspiration was taken from Jonathan
Kaplan's 1979 movie Over the Edge, as well as the Ramones'
film Rock 'n' Roll High School. Filmed on a soundstage in Culver City,
the video featured the band playing at a pep rally in a high school
gym to an audience of apathetic students on bleachers, and
cheerleaders wearing black dresses with the Circle-A anarchist
symbol. Occasionally, the scene would cut to a janitor (played by
Tony De La Rosa) wearing a navy blue jumpsuit and dancing with a
push broom handle. The video ends with the assembled students
destroying the set and the band's gear. The demolition of the set
captured in the video's conclusion was the result of genuine
discontent.

26. Camera Shots/Angles
This is a wide long shot because the person is shown from head to
Toe also some space is left under him. The cheer leaders on
The right side can be seen.
Midshot is mostly used in this video there is hardly any closeup.
This is a pan movement which cannot be noticed in this picture
but the audience is shown through a smooth pan movement.

27.  This is a high angle shot. The camera quality is very poor and the
lighting is very dull because of which the picture is not clear. But the
singer is holding a guitar in this screenshot.
A lot of eye level shots can be seen as the main
singer is making an eye contact with the viewers
of the video.

28. LIGHTING:
The lighting is very very dark and dull. Only yellow lights can be
seen other than darkness. The light covers the singers face as
well because of which his expressions cannot be seen
properly.
- This song is very wild and because its genre is a type of rock,
the singer is very much involved in the lyrics and the
performance that he is jumping with his guitar and screaming
while singing. The other instruments like drums etc are also
being played very loudly. There is smoke every where.
This kind of performance
goes well with the lyrics
and the mood of the
song.
A sweeper is shown who is enjoying the performance
and is dancing with his broom. He ten at the end again
starts cleaning the floor.